Thus says the
Lord,
“As the new wine
is found in the cluster...” (Isaiah 65:8
NASB)
Everybody
wants a bigger church or a more significant ministry. The expansion of God’s purposes on this earth
is never bad. But sometimes in His
Kingdom least may be the best.
What was Jesus’ strategy for reaching
the world? It involved a group of three (Peter, James, and John) and then the
twelve disciples. David had 30 valiant warriors. Gideon had his army trimmed
down to three hundred men. God's people have rarely fought a battle where they
were not out numbered.
When Jesus spoke of the cost of
discipleship the size of His following tended to wane. When he talked about
cross bearing you got the impression that he was intentionally trying to winnow
His flock. Are our church growth
strategies sacrificing depth for breadth?
A surge in the number of bodies in the pews may make us feel good, but
does it necessarily translate into forming the life of Christ in His
disciples? Our Lord who invested his
life in a few started the movement that has changed the world, the church.
We can emulate the patterns of this
world or we can follow the ways our Lord taught us. It depends on whether we are making disciples
or spectators. New wine is always found
in the cluster. In God's Kingdom big is not always better and little is much if
God is in it.
Ken Barnes, the
author of “The Chicken Farm and
Other Sacred Places” YWAM Publishing
Email: kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/
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